A Little Piece of Starlight
by cordiebear95
Summary: After his brother and uncle's death in the great battle to reclaim Erebor, Kili is left to become king under the mountain. But in doing this he must give up the thing he wants most, a life with Tauriel. Torn between duty and love Kili must do what is best for his people like his uncle would have wanted. But after spending one night with Tauriel, letting go might not be so easy.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Kili jolted awake in bed with a gasp. He peered over at the dark haired she elf laying net to him, in hopes that she had not been awaken by his sudden movement. She remained peacefully asleep.

She unlike himself did not suffer from nights filled with nightmares. and why should she. She had not lost an uncle who in all cases was the only father figure he had known, nor a brother.

He gave a sigh and leaned down and kissed her auburn hair, before pulling himself out of bed, not looking forward to the days activities.

Today was the day, in just mere hours he would no longer be Prince Kili heir to the throne of Erebor, but the king under the mountian. But that's not what worried him. In just mere hours he would have to say goodbye to the one thing he held dear. Or one woman.

As the King Kili knew that it was his responsibility to marry, and produce an heir to proceed him, and as much as he wanted that to be Tauriel he know it couldn't. And that tore him apart inside.

Elves, and Dwarfs could never fully get along, and although they had come some way in the few short weeks since the great battle that had took both Fili and Thorin's lives. Those wounds were still not yet mended. Meaning that he had to find a suitable Queen to rule by his side, that his people could trust.

There was movement to his left, as Tauriel began to stir. She rolled over moving her hand in search of him, but it came up empty. she shot up in bed.

"Kili?" came her angelic voice filled with concern.

"I'm here." He replied lighting a candle beside him as he sat down at his desk.

She thrown her legs over the bed ready to stand up, "What awoke you at this hour _meleth?"_

"nothing, go back to sleep." He said leaning back in his chair.

Tauriel looked at him confused before slidding of the bed. He long green nightdress falling to the ground with grace like a waterfall, "what is troubling you Kili."

She walked over to him and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"What is to come of us after today. That is what troubles me. Knowing in just mere hours we can not have a future, and that is something i do not wish to see happen." Kili replied looking up at the she-elf.

Tauriel looked like she wanted to say something, but instead turned and walked across the room to retrieve her leather bound bag that lay on the floor next to her armor. She reached inside it pulling something out, then returned to him.

She took his hand, in hers and slid the small smooth rock he had given her, when they said their last goodbyes before the battle. A rock the promised his return to not only his mother, but to her as well.

"You gave this to me when you told me you loved me, and that you promised to return to me. Now I give it back to you with a promise. I will wait as long as you see fit before we shall be together. She replied.

"That day might never come Tauriel." he replied looking at the rock.

"Lets not think about that now, tonight just hold me." She said taking his had and leading him back towards his bed.

And he did, until the small hours of the morning, he held her in his arms touching her hair as if it might be last chance he got. And it might very well have been. As he watched her sleep Kili did something forbidden to do outside his race. He carefully slid his families silver encrusted bead from his hair, and braided it into Tauriel's as she sleep.

Leaving beside her, were she had seen him sleeping a letter for her.

_Nin Melin Tauriel,_

_I so wish i could be here when you awake, but we both know i can not. What ever happens today just know that i love you. I do not wish to lie to you, so i will not. As heir to the thrown of the mountain, you know i can not be with you. This is not of choice but of duty. My people must see me as a strong leader, like my uncle would have been. And if that means giving up the thing i love more then my own life then i must._

_The bead that i have placed in your hair is that of my kinfolk. It is a custom to give it to the one we want to spend the rest of our lives with. I want that so much to be you. But for the good of my people i have to produce an heir with someone of my own race. _

_Inye meleth tye, aruva tennoio,_

_Kili_

Kili then gave her one last kiss and left his room.

So here are the translations to the elvish words i have used in the story. Everytime i use one i will post the translation down here.

Meleth - Love

Nin Melin - My Dear

Inye meleth tye, aruva tennoio - I love you, and will always

Please feel free to review


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two:

The next time he saw Tauriel was, 30 moons later when she was escorting Thranduil to the mountain for business matters.

There in her hair still sat the bead, but the braid was pulled up under her hair almost not noticeable, which is probably what she had intended.

She walked with the same grace that she always had, and barely even looked at him. Only talking to him when it was need. Something had changed between them.

"she still wears the bead, perhaps she is putting on a good performance." He thought to himself when she had excused herself for his presents when he had asked to speech to her in private.

The day after brought him no such luck in talking to her either, for when he sought her out he found her talking to Legolas in the mountain garden. She was crying, crying into his shoulder.

It pained Kili to see her hurting, he want so much to go to her and comfort her but he know he could not. Rather he find comfort in HIM then himself.

That night at dinner, Kili turned his attention to Tauriel, "So my lady, your king has been telling me that you have been training his men to the bone."

Tauriel gave him a stern look then nodded, "That is correct your highness."

He then turned to look at Thranduil, "My soldiers could really use that discipline, what say you lend me you captain for a few moons."

Legolas jumped to his feet, "Absolutely not."

"Legolas..." Tauriel trailed off, as Thranduil gave his son a death glare.

"Farea, Legolas. Mana orna tul nia tye ?" he asked his son.

"Tauriel dorth as nin." Legolas spoke to his father.

"If it is a problem..." Kili inturupted.

Thranduil turned back to Kili, "No it is not a problem, my son just needs to learn his place. I will allow Tauriel to come train you soldiers."

"Of course i would compensate you for her time my lord." Kili replied.

Thranduil nodded and they went back to eating their food in quiet.

After dinner, Kili was on his way to retire for the night, when he got pulled into the shadows of the corridor outside his room.

"What do you think you are doing." came Tauriel's voice in a growl.

"Well you were ignoring me, so i had to find someway to get you to talk to me meleth." he replied straightening his cloak.

"You left without saying goodbye, i have every right to ignore you."

"Not enouph to take my bead out of your hair, i see." Kili replied touching the braid with his thumb and index finger.

Tauriel swatted his hand away, making Kili grin.

"So all that was just to get me to talk to you."

"That and i really do, need someone with you expertise to train my men. They are severally lacking in experience, and skill." he replied with a shrug. "er inye mithrel nin."

"You words in your letter we very clear Kili. We can not be together so long as the wounds between out two people still exist."

Kili looked at her with disbelief, this could not be the Tauriel he had seen not that long ago, something had changed.

"Tauriel." came Legolas's voice from down the hall.

"I must go." she said turning to follow Legolas's voice, before turning back, "I can not train your army, for i am not going to be training My Lords much longer either." then she continued walking down the hall until she disappeared into the darkness.

Kili's gut told him to go after her and to find out what was wrong, and why she was now not wanting any part of being captain to Thranduil's army, or training his soldiers but told himself not to. In do time she would come around.

"Soon i hope." He thought before opening the door to his room and disappearing inside.

Farea, Legolas. Mana orna tul nia tye? - Enouph Legolas. What has come over you?

Tauriel dorth as nin. - Tauriel stays with me.

meleth. - love

er inye mithrel nin. - and i also missed you.


	3. Chapter 3

2 Weeks Later

Kili sat at his desk, finishing the final touch ups on his letter to his mother that he would be sending out with the next rider to the Blue Mountains.

There was a soft knock on the door, as Balin peered in "Sorry to bother you Kili,"

Kili placed his pen down on his desk and looked up at Balin, "It's no trouble. What can I help you with?"

"Some of the men and I had noticed that you have yet to visit your brother and uncle since the funeral… and well we thought it would be good for you to get out of this room…" Balin trailed off.

"I will visit them when I will Balin, and as for leaving this room. I have much work that needs to be done, I cannot just simply put that off." Kili said getting up from his desk with his letter to his mother in his hands. "Now if that is all, could you give this to the next rider out to the Blue Mountains?"

"Yes your highness." Balin said taking the letter as he bowed and then turned to leave.

As Balin exited the door a soldier ran into the room and bowed to Kili.

"What is it?" Kili asked sitting back down.

"A caravan from Mirkwood just passed our boarders sir." The soldier replied.

"Inform me when they reach the gates." Kili said turning his attention back to the giant stake of paper infront of him.

"A group of Orc have intercepted the path between the caravan and Erebor your Highness. I was told to retrieve you." He replied.

"Why are orc on our land without my knowledge?" Kili stood up and headed for the door.

"We thought them to be passing through, but they must have heard the caravan and changed course. There is one other thing you should know my Lord."

"What, you have wasted enough of my time." Kili said grabbing his sword from its place by the door.

"The Lady Tauriel rides with the caravan…"

The soldier did not even get to finish his sentence before Kili started running down the hall towards the front gates, where his horse waited for him.

"Get a medical team standing by." Kili said hoping on his horse and steading it with the reins. And with that he and a group of dwarves took off down the trail leading from Erebor to Mirkwood Forest.

Tauriel let another arrow loose from her bow as an Orc came running at her, hitting it dead in the shoulder. The Orc stopped for a second and was about to start at her again when Legolas drove his blade though the Orcs back.

"I could have taken it Legolas." Tauriel said lowering her bow as she looked around her at the damage that had been done, "Well it looks like we're walking."

Legolas grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him, "I will walk, you can the horse _nin mellon_."

"That won't be necessary I am perfectly capable of walking, let the horse pull what is left of the caravan." Tauriel stated.

The sound of hoof beats upon the dirt round drew them away from their conversation, as a group of horses rode at them at full speed.

With little effort Tauriel readied her bow, as Legolas removed his twin blades from their home on his back. Both ready for another fight if it came to it.

Tauriel looked the riders of the horses over, and slowly lowered her bow, "they are of no danger to us Legolas."

The horses came to a halt right in front of Tauriel, and suddenly Kili was standing before her.

He reached for her, but she stepped back.

"Are you okay? My men said that Orcs had crossed your paths?" Kili asked looking around.

"We are more than capable of handling a few rogue Orcs you Highness." Legolas replied before Tauriel had a chance to.

Kili nodded to Legolas but turned his attention back to her. His eyes scanning every inch of her body making sure that she had not been hurt because his men had been to careless as to kill the Orcs when they had first entered his land. Seeing that she had no wounds he turned to the man beside him.

"Ride ahead and see to it that two of our guest rooms are made ready, and tell the cook I will be having company tonight for dinner." He then turned back to Tauriel and offered his hand, "Care for a ride?"

"Thank you Kili but I am more than fine with walking." She said.

"I insist." He said.

Tauriel looked from Legolas to Kili, than back at Legolas.

"_Ni indome n forn adel tye_." Legolas assured her.

Tauriel turned back to Kili and shakenly raised her hand to his.

Kili smiled and led her to his horse, where he then mounted, and she hoped on in front of him. "Search the area nearby for any more Orcs." He called out to his man as he gently kicked his horse's side as they took off back up the path from whence he had come.

Kili took this opportunity to place a kiss on Tauriel's shoulder.

Tauriel let out a sigh, "I agreed to ride with you Kili, nothing more."

"Sorry I just missed you. Now what brings you to my mountain?" He asked.

"You asked my Lord to allow me to train your men did you not?" She replied.

"That I did, but I did not expect you to bring him." Kili growled.

"I can bring with me who I wish Kili, you have no say in who I keep for company." Tauriel stated emotionless.

"The bead you keep in your hair says different. Tell me, if you do not love me Tauriel way do you still keep it. And surely my company is better than that of any elf." Kili said letting go of the reins with one hand to stoke the hidden braid behind her ear.

"I did not say I didn't love you Kili, and as for why I keep it….." Tauriel trailed off.

"Don't say anymore _nin meleth_." Kili said stopping the horse.

"Why are we stopping Kili?"

"Follow me."

"It will be dark soon, and I should think that the King under the Mountain should not be alone at night when Orcs are running across his lands." Tauriel said sliding of the horse to follow Kili.

"I am not alone, I have you." Kili said disappearing into the tree line.

Tauriel took off after him.


End file.
